Ready, Set, Weekend with Simply Beautiful Eating

I have to apologize to Steve and anyone else out there who has started the new year off with their diet resolutions. We have both been on the “watch what you stuff in your face” bandwagon since January 7.

Wait. Was that last week? Seems like FOREVER.

But, I have to admit, both Steve and I have been pretty good. We treat ourselves ONCE a week to a bowl of popcorn as a snack and that’s about it.

Three meals a day, some healthy snacks thrown in and I’m usually the one who is complaining that I’m going to bed hungry at night while singing the show tune from OLIVER – “Please Sir, I want some more”.

Pretty sad, right? I mean, honestly? I don’t need to have dessert every night (even though I’m used to doing so around 9 p.m.). Here’s our new routine: We finish dinner, clean up, put everything away and that’s it. I have a nice warm drink around 9 ish just to satisfy my mental cravings that “I HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING” and then it’s off to bed. Once the lights go out, this is what happens.

I DREAM ABOUT MUFFINS and sh&%t that I want to consume without thinking about how tight my jeans are.

Specifically, I dream about these muffins. You may even have recognized these from my muffin line up. I have made a similar recipe with an oatmeal base in the past. They are BAR NONE the best muffins that have ever come out of my kitchen. They are not just good…….THEY ARE INSANELY GOOD.

Today, I decided to add in a fresh blackberry swirl into the recipe. This is the same type of berry syrup I make for topping pancakes or waffles. It’s delicious, decadent and a perfect addition to this muffin recipe. And of course, I can’t do a muffin without a streusel topping, it just adds that little punch of crunch on the first bite. BONUS.

So what’s the problem here? I’m going to tell you.

I can’t eat these right now and neither can Steve. Waaaaaaaaaa.

We packed away two in zippy bags and stored them in the freezer until we both reach our fitness goals or when one of us caves and secretly eats one. (I know who is going to be the biggest loser and cave in – most likely me)

In the meantime, they are currently sitting in my front hallway packed in my cupcake carrier and are going to make their way to my office tomorrow morning. Lucky ducks.

Streusel

⅓ cup packed light or dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

⅔ cup all-purpose flour

For the muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats,quick cooking

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg plus 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

¾ cup milk (I used coconut - feel free to use any milk)

⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

1/2 cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds, optional

Blackberry swirl

1 cup fresh blackberries

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

To make the streusel topping, in a large bowl combine both sugars, cinnamon, melted butter and flour until the mixture is very crumbly. Set aside or place in fridge while making your muffin batter to keep the streusel from getting too warm.

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with non-stick spray or line with paper muffin cups; set aside.

To make your blackberry swirl, add the blackberries to a small pot with the sugar and cinnamon. On medium high heat, keep stirring the mixture until it cooks down and gets syrupy. Mashing the blackberries with a spoon as you continue to cook them - about 5 minutes. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the rolled oats and set aside.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and both sugars and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy; about 3 minutes.

Add in the egg, egg yolks, and vanilla and continue beating until well combined. Turn mixer off and set batter aside. In a large measuring cup add the milk and sour cream; whisk well to combine; set aside. With the mixer speed set to low; alternate adding the flour mixture and the sour cream/milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Be sure not to over mix. With the mixer turned off, add in the pumpkin or sunflower seeds if you want the muffins to have an added crunch. Fold them in gently with a spatula.

Divide the batter evenly among prepared muffin tins with an ice cream scoop. Don’t be shy, fill those tins to the brim. Top each muffin cup with one teaspoon of the blackberry swirl. Using a toothpick gently swirl the sauce into the muffin. Now divide the streusel topping and sprinkle on top of the 12 muffins.

Bake for 27 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool muffins 10 minutes in the pan before transferring to a cooling rack. Makes 12 large muffins